The sea-mans dictionary, or, An exposition and demonstration of all the parts and things belonging to a shippe together with an explanation of all the termes and phrases used in the practique of navigation / composed by Henry Manwaring ...

To Gripe.

We say a Ship doth Gripe, when she is apt (contrary to the Helme,) to run her head or nose to the wind more then she should: There are commonly two causes of this, the one, when a Ship may be too deepe a-head, that her head is not apt, by reason of the weight which presses her downe, to fall away from the wind; the other may be the staying of the Mast; for if she be a short Ship, and draw much water, if her Masts be stayed too much aftward-on, it will cause her head still to run into the wind: The Flemmings being generally long floatie Ships, doe stay all their Masts aftward-on very much, else their Ships would never keep a wind, for it is apparent to sense, that all failes from the Maine-mast aftward-on the farther aft they stand, the more they keep the Ship to the wind: as the head-sailes, the more foreward on they stand, the more power they have to flat the Ship a∣bout from the wind.